Non-ferrous metals refer to metal materials that are not based on iron. These materials can consist of pure metal elements or combinations of metal and non-metal elements, exhibiting the general properties of metallic materials. They are broadly categorized into pure metals and alloys. Pure metals are composed of a single element, while alloys contain two or more elements. Alloys can further be classified as binary, ternary, or multi-element alloys based on the number of components they contain.
Non-ferrous metals are typically divided into five main categories: heavy non-ferrous metals (with a density greater than 4.5 g/cm³), such as copper, nickel, lead, zinc, and tin; light non-ferrous metals (with a density less than or equal to 4.5 g/cm³), including aluminum, magnesium, sodium, potassium, calcium, strontium, and barium. These metals are characterized by low density and high chemical reactivity, often forming stable compounds with oxygen, sulfur, carbon, and halogens. Noble non-ferrous metals, like gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, are rare in the Earth's crust and difficult to extract. They have high melting points, excellent chemical stability, and resistance to corrosion. Semi-metals, such as silicon, selenium, tellurium, arsenic, and boron, exhibit properties between metals and non-metals. For example, arsenic is a non-metal but can conduct heat and electricity. Rare metals, such as tungsten and titanium, are found in small quantities in nature and are challenging to extract from their ores.
Alloys made primarily from non-ferrous metals are known as non-ferrous alloys. These can be classified into heavy, light, precious, and rare metal alloys based on their composition. Non-ferrous alloys can also be categorized according to manufacturing methods: deformed alloys, which are formed through pressure processing and are easily shaped due to their single-phase solid solutions at high temperatures; powder metallurgy alloys, created by pressing or sintering elemental powders, offering high performance and versatility; and cast alloys, produced by pouring molten metal into molds and allowing it to cool, enabling the creation of complex shapes with multiple phases at room temperature.
In engineering applications, casting properties and mechanical characteristics are important factors when selecting non-ferrous alloys. The naming conventions for non-ferrous metals and their products follow specific rules. In China, for instance, the product codes use Chinese pinyin letters or international element symbols to denote the main type. For example, "L" represents aluminum, and "Cu" stands for copper. Additional numbers and letters indicate the alloy’s composition, condition, and features. For example, "LF" refers to rust-proof aluminum, "LD" to forging aluminum, and "LY" to hard aluminum. Similarly, "QSn" denotes a tin bronze alloy, while "QAL9-4" indicates an aluminum bronze with 9% aluminum and 4% other elements.
The status, processing method, and feature codes are also expressed using Hanyu Pinyin. For example, "R" stands for heat treatment, "C" for quenching, "B" for non-coated surfaces, and "X" for fine-grained materials. Some exceptions exist, such as "O" for high-quality surface finish.
According to GB/T 8063-1994, the grades of cast non-ferrous metals include the letter "Z" followed by the chemical element symbol and numerical values indicating purity or a serial number. For non-ferrous alloys, the grade includes "Z," the base metal symbol, any rare earth element symbols, and the nominal percentage of each component. The elements are listed in descending order of their content, or alphabetically if percentages are equal. If certain elements define the alloy category, they are listed first regardless of their quantity.
Common cast non-ferrous alloys include cast aluminum, copper, magnesium, zinc, and bearing alloys. Cast bearing alloys, such as those based on tin or lead, are specifically used for plain bearings. Each type of alloy has unique properties and applications depending on its composition and intended use.
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